Collegiate Times

Juxtaposition sings at Acafestappella.

For Juxtaposition — the oldest all-male acappella group at Virginia tech — tradition is of the utmost importance.

“We have been around the longest, so we are a little more established than the other groups on campus,” said Chris Sangster, a senior music technology major and music director for Juxtaposition.

The group performed in its most recent concert on March 30 at the Lyric Theatre — Juxtaposition came up with the theme “Young at Eight” for the event.

“The young part is showing how we try not to take ourselves too seriously as people, but we are serious musicians,” Sangster said. “We are all young college guys, so we are just trying to let the world see what our experiences in college have been like.” 

Choosing a theme is a long process for the group.

“We want to pick something that everyone likes and will have fun performing,” said Kevin Hargrove, a freshman accounting major and group member.

The theme is also the name of the album Juxtaposition released the night of the concert.

“Every track on ‘Young at Eight’ means a lot to all 16 of us,” Sangster said. “It’s just showing our fans and anyone who wants to listen what we’ve gained in our time here.”

The concert and album are products of a lot of group practices — they have three two-hour practices per week.

“Sometimes practices can be tense,” said Charles Carter Harvey, president of Juxtaposition. “But usually it’s all fun because we all love music and like to be around each other.”

He also uses practice time as an escape.

“I don’t know if I’d have a musical outlet if I wasn’t in Juxtaposition,” the senior finance major said.

Even though the group performs on a routine basis, members still become anxious before certain events.

“The sorority gigs make me nervous because we are singing in front of so many girls in the same room,” Sangster said.

The group also tries to give back to the community by supporting charity events on campus.

“Last year, we donated to Zeta’s philanthropy because they were the organization with the most members who came out to our concert,” Harvey said. 

Most recently, the group performed in the Acapalooza event, which supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“We try to help out the most charities we can and sing for a good cause,” Hargrove said. 

But above all, the group members are supportive of each other.

“My favorite part is the camaraderie of the group,” Sangster said. “Everyone is really close, and I laugh a lot, which makes it all worth it.”

Hargrove shared this feeling.

“It’s more than just a bunch of guys singing together — it’s the bond,” he said.

A version of this article appeared in the Apr 4 issue of the Collegiate Times.